Season guide · Melbourne · Australia
Melbourne in summer
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Flickerd, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Warm to hot, mostly dry days with long evenings, the Australian Open and beach days at St Kilda, interrupted by occasional 40°C heat and sudden cool changes. Expect highs up to 26°C (79°F) and lows around 14°C (57°F), with about 17 rainy days across December–February. February is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 14°C (57°F) to 26°C (79°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 17
- Sea
- 18°C (64°F) to 20°C (68°F)
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26°C (79°F) | 15°C (59°F) | 5 | 14.5 h | 5/5 |
| February | 26°C (79°F) | 16°C (61°F) | 5 | 13.6 h | 4/5 |
| December | 24°C (75°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 7 | 14.8 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 25°C (77°F) against a yearly 20°C (68°F), and 17 of the year's roughly 95 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Australian Open tennis at Melbourne Park (usually the second half of January)
- January: Midsumma Festival — LGBTQ+ arts and culture (usually January to February)
- January: Lunar New Year in Chinatown (late January or February)
- February: Midsumma Festival (usually until early February)
- February: Summer night market at the Queen Victoria Market (usually Wednesday evenings)
- December: Boxing Day Test cricket at the MCG (26 December)
- December: New Year's Eve fireworks over the CBD and the Yarra (31 December)
Make the most of the weather
Garden · South Yarra
Royal Botanic Gardens
Thirty-eight hectares of lawns, lakes and plant collections stretch along the Yarra south of the CBD, with a fern gully, an arid garden and Guilfoyle's Volcano, a restored reservoir planted with succulents.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
- Couples
.jpg){kind=link}
Historic site · Kings Domain
Shrine of Remembrance
Climb to the upper balconies for the view straight up St Kilda Road and Swanston Street to the CBD skyline.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
- Architecture
Museum · Carlton
Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building
In the Carlton Gardens, the Melbourne Museum covers natural history, First Peoples culture and the city's own story, with a living forest gallery, dinosaur skeletons and Phar Lap, the champion racehorse.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Architecture
- Nature
Waterfront · St Kilda
St Kilda foreshore and pier
Arrive around dusk to see the little penguins return to the breakwater; keep your voice down and never use a camera flash.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- After dark
- Couples
- Nature
Viewpoint · Southbank
Melbourne Skydeck
The observation deck on the 88th floor of Eureka Tower gives 360-degree views over the CBD, Port Phillip Bay and, on a clear day, the Dandenong Ranges.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- After dark
- Couples
Day trips in summer
- Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles (About 4 hours each way along the coast) — The Great Ocean Road winds along cliffs and surf beaches from Torquay through Lorne and Apollo Bay to the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park.
- Phillip Island (About 2 hours by car) — Phillip Island is best known for its Penguin Parade, when hundreds of little penguins come ashore at dusk at Summerland Beach while visitors watch from grandstands and boardwalks.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Melbourne?
Yes: February is among the best months. Warm to hot, mostly dry days with long evenings, the Australian Open and beach days at St Kilda, interrupted by occasional 40°C heat and sudden cool changes.
+What is the weather like in Melbourne in summer?
Highs of up to 26°C (79°F) and lows around 14°C (57°F), with about 17 rainy days over the season.